The present disclosure relates to modular structures including, without limitation, modular platforms for extension over swimming pools. The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. The work of the presently named inventor, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
In a wide variety of situations, there may arise a need for a structure that can be assembled over a pool. Such a structure may provide a standing surface that was not otherwise present. For instance, in a home having a swimming pool in its backyard, a homeowner may wish to cover the pool with a structure in order to create a surface onto which guests can stand or sit at a table disposed thereon. The structure effectively allows the homeowner to reclaim backyard area that is inherently lost because of the swimming pool. In other words, with the addition of the structure, the homeowner effectively provides a surface over the pool for guests to walk and/or stand on.
Typically, to achieve such a conversion, the homeowner may hire a contractor to build a platform over the swimming pool. The platform may be made of wood beams that are nailed or screwed together and extend laterally to form a frame over the pool. More wood beams may then be nailed on top of the frame to create the surface. Additionally, support beams may extend vertically below the frame and into the pool to provide support for the frame. In other typical situations, the above-described structure may be made with metal rather than with wood.
While the aforementioned structures each adequately provides a surface for covering the pool they have several drawbacks. First, they require intensive labor and expert knowledge to install. Second, once installed, the pool may not be usable because of the support structures extending into the pool to support the frame. Third, the structures are typically tailor-made for a specific pool size and design, and thus, they may not be usable with a wide variety of pools. And, fourth, should the homeowner decide to remove the structure to make use the pool, any subsequent need for the structure would require a complete re-installation with new wood beams, which would significantly increase costs. As such, these typical structures are costly, which has impeded their widespread adoption.